Swifties switching from X to Bluesky following Trump's election win

Following Donald Trump’s victory in the recent U.S. presidential election, a noticeable wave of Taylor Swift fans, known as Swifties, are abandoning X and setting up camp on Bluesky. This shift isn’t solely about politics; some claim it’s about finding a platform that feels more inclusive and safer. As reported by WIRED, Swifties have found X increasingly uncomfortable, especially after Elon Musk, the platform’s owner, openly supported Trump and donated more than $100 million to Trump-supporting PACs.

Since the election, Swifties have reported a rise in aggressive rhetoric on X, especially toward women and those expressing left-leaning views. Irene Kim, an organizer with Swifties for Kamala, explained that the election night comments and subsequent misogynistic remarks, particularly those echoing Trump supporters’ sentiments, made the platform feel hostile. “It’s become such a hellscape,” Kim says.

Adding to Swifties’ frustrations is a recent update to X’s “block” feature, which now allows users to view profiles and posts from those who have blocked them, a change that has left many feeling exposed. Justin, a long-time Swift fan, says, “After the election, my timeline was full of Swifties getting DMs from Trump supporters with sexually violent comments. It feels like a place I just can’t be in anymore.” For Justin, Bluesky offers a welcome alternative, where he feels both safer and more connected to a supportive, Swift-aligned community.

In the background of this shift, Bluesky’s user base has been expanding fast. The decentralized network, which secured a $15 million Series A funding round led by Blockchain Capital last month, has grown to over 13 million users. While X faces backlash for policies seen as disruptive or divisive, Bluesky’s focus on user control and open conversations has resonated with a growing crowd. It doesn’t hurt that Bluesky has also playfully positioned itself as an alternative to other platforms; just a few weeks ago, it trolled Meta’s Threads over moderation policies, and it hasn’t shied away from promoting its independence from billionaire owners and algorithm-driven content feeds.

A recent post on Reddit also highlighted the Bluesky app outranking X in the top apps in the US on the App Store.

But it’s not all sunshine and roses. Bluesky continues to address its own challenges. Last month, it faced criticism for flooding users’ feeds with anime and furry content, even for those who hadn’t expressed interest. However, Bluesky has since responded, introducing debugging tools to improve the user experience and better tailor content suggestions.

As of now, Bluesky is rapidly adapting and appears eager to capitalize on the influx of new users. Swifties are finding themselves among like-minded groups, with nearly 200 Swift-themed starter packs, or curated account lists, now available on the platform. Kim has spent the past few days hopping back onto X, encouraging her fellow fans to follow her to Bluesky. “Right now it just feels like such a breath of fresh air,” she says.

For Swifties, many of whom share Taylor Swift’s values of inclusivity, Bluesky is quickly becoming a place to settle down and rebuild their online presence. “If all the Swifties move here, it’s a massive triumph,” Justin says. While that might sound like a loss for X, the data speaks for itself. Elon Musk took to X to reveal that the platform had “reached another all-time high of usage” last week.

Either way, some of Musk’s recent decisions are clearly driving away users from the digital town square. We’ll have to wait and see the long-term impact of all this drama on X.